Load management systems generally are numerous and well known in the prior art. Bridge cranes are useful in loading and unloading material in warehouses and manufacturing facilities, and have been in operation for several years. Most bridge cranes are fixed to a pier and foundation system to provide structural support for the loads they manage. Mobile cranes are often the Gantry type, an example having an I-beam down the center with an A-frame mounted on castor wheels. In this way, the load may be lifted, and the crane and load moved to another location. In some cases, such cranes have been mounted on flatbed trucks to provide further utility. A typical boom crane may be mobile where mounted in a truck. However, where mounted in a truck with an open top rear cargo area, such as a typical pickup truck, boom and Gantry cranes occupy a substantial portion of the bed and often substantially limit usage of the bed for other purposes.
Further, where cranes are adapted for use in a pickup truck, safety is an important issue. Items loaded on the back of pickup trucks are often heavy and awkward, and not uncommonly must be loaded from an incline. Thus, injury and lost productivity may be expected where a load is hoisted from unlevel ground and moves unpredictably or uncontrollably. Further, where cranes are employed to assist in moving a load, the movement of the crane apparatus itself may become dangerous and strike unsuspecting workers. Additionally, vehicle position when lifting heavy loads is important in maintaining safe lifting practices. Where a vehicle is pitched on a hill, facing upwardly or downwardly, it may tip; where a vehicle is on a less-than-horizontal surface, the vehicle may roll—often with devastating consequences.